Kingfisher man Sutherland to take over as new boss at Co-operative Group

New chief executive: Euan Sutherland is already a non-executive director of The Co-operative Group's Food Board

Co-operative Group has appointed Euan Sutherland, currently Kingfisher's chief operating officer, to succeed current chief executive Peter Marks when he retires next year.

Mr Sutherland, 43, comes from a retail and consumer goods background, having previously worked at Boots, Mars, Coca-Cola, Dixons Retail and Matalan. His current role involves responsibility for DIY chain B&Q.

The Co-operative chairman Len Wardle
said Mr Sutherland would bring 'considerable experience of the strategic
leadership needed in complex customer-facing businesses, across a
variety of retail sectors'.

Mr Sutherland said he was 'very
pleased' about his new role and added: 'The challenge is to build upon
the success that has been achieved in recent years and the solid
foundations that have been laid for its future growth.'

Mr Sutherland is already a
non-executive director of The Co-operative Group's Food Board, and a
non-executive director of SuperGroup.